Bostock

Besides the Nutella oat pancakes, here's something else I made for breakfast during the recent long weekend...Bostock - another recipe from Martha Bakes that recently caught my eye.  

Bostock is something of a cross between French toast and almond croissant - and, as I found out, it is utterly delicious!  I don't know about you but hearing "Bostock" doesn't make me think of something I should rush to eat, but it is!  Think thick slices of bread (traditionally day-old brioche but I used a Japanese-style white bread), brushed with a vanilla bean simple syrup, topped with a thin layer of apricot jam, then slathered with frangipane, or almond pastry cream, before baking.  As a big fan of almond pastries and desserts, anything involving frangipane is well worth trying.

And as with practically all almond pastries I've had the pleasure of sampling, this Bostock was such a treat!  My photos don't do it justice.  

First of all, it has a great texture.  I loved the crunchy edges all around this almond toast, which contrasts nicely with the soft center.  Taste-wise, you have a lovely sweetness all round, starting with the sweet bread, then enhanced by the vanilla-bean syrup.  The apricot jam adds sweetness but also a little bit of tartness to mix things up a little.  And the best part...the frangipane or almond cream, which contributes flavor and aroma.  All in, it hits all the right notes for an almond pastry lover like me.

To make this, there are a few steps but you could do it all at once and pop it straight into the oven for brunch.  For me, it was easier to assemble some of the parts - make the simple syrup and frangipane - the day before so I could finish them off and bake the Bostock for breakfast the next morning.  I'm really glad I tried this - and whenever I can say that, I'm happy!